There were several good runs at Hastings, one of the more notable being that of Maradonna who produced a back-me-next-start effort in the first race. It was a nice run from a horse coming off his debut. Subject to a fair bit of improvement and will go close in a
maiden race next time.
Barside: Ran on strongly late in a race dominated by on-pace runners.
Hard to beat if he can finally learn to stay just a bit handier.
Fiddler: Nice even effort and probably harder to beat on a real winter track.
We're bound to get a few more of them.
No Cash: Didn't win in the inquiry room protesting against the winner, but won plenty of friends dashing home unluckily to be beaten by one stride.
Veteran now, but starting to look like he's in career best form.
All In Tempo: Would have disappointed plenty, but some of his best form has been when ridden quietly.
Lacked his sprinting finish from being ridden outside the leader.
Crocodile Canyon: Raced like a horse looking for a middle distance.
Nice 1600m placing and will improve.
Salvatore: Gutsy third at Hastings. Sitting duck for the first two from the home turn, but never gave it away.
Deserves another one before his campaign finishes.
Tom Sawyer: Big bloke who as a 5-year-old has had only four starts.
Fought hard against a much more experienced winner Affairfotheheart and should have gained invaluable experience.
Fashion Rocks: Made ground well late in a 1200m that was too short. Watch.
Show Up: That won't be her last victory.
Silently: Ex-Australian that made a big noise finishing second in first local start. Can only improve.
Abbey Trelae: Slightly under-rated mare who is sure to have improved for her first start since a break on Saturday. Likely to win at decent odds.
The Hombre: Will come out of the Mudgway a much better horse.
Red Ric: Huge finish from the back to be just beaten in the last at Hastings. Due a win soon.
Best Training Performance: Robert Priscott and Clayton Chipperfield to have Elblitzem at his best after a series of hard races on testing tracks under big weights.
He showed plenty of grit and if he can find the right race again with not too much weight he can win again.
Best Ride: A losing one - David Walsh finishing second on Waitui Music. Not for the first time lately Walsh had the guts, yes guts, to sit three and four wide in front in search of better ground.
When you do that you generally have to win to prove it was a wise move. Even though narrowly beaten, Walsh proved what he did was smart.
Mark Du Plessis came out in the next race and did the same thing to win on Show Up. Du Plessis might have been intending to do that anyway, but Walsh's ride 35 minutes earlier proved it could be done successfully.
Sack These: The conditions at Hastings were such that it was difficult to put a case to sack anything. The going was tough and anything with even the hint of a fitness question mark against it struggled.
Likely to be a big form turnaround on many runners. Probably best to forgive them all.
Wow: How good are the topline horses in Melbourne this spring? Outstanding jumps quickly into the frame.
So You Think is something else, which we all suspected when he won the Cox Plate as an unknown.
Shoot Out was not disappointing finishing third, but wouldn't you like to see him have three or four weeks off now to freshen?
Trainer says a race every two weeks from the start of August through to the Melbourne Cup.
Well, good luck with that.
Elblitzem (outer) wins the Open 1600m at Hastings. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today
There were several good runs at Hastings, one of the more notable being that of Maradonna who produced a back-me-next-start effort in the first race. It was a nice run from a horse coming off his debut. Subject to a fair bit of improvement and will go close in a
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